Keeping A Secret
by cbssoapsgirl
Summary: Can a secret ruin someone's life? Or can it make their life better?
1. Parker Stanton

Fitz sat at his desk in his office in Vermont staring back at the project he needed to finish for his library. Personally he would have had a museum or a park but a library was good too. The sun shined in through the open curtains in the office.

"Dad!" Teddy came running into the office.

"Hey bud, what's the big hurry? We aren't leaving for a few more hours."

Teddy walked up to the desk looking at the sketch of the library. "I think this will be a great place, dad. Josh sent me to tell you there's someone here for you. He needs you to let him know if he can let him in the gate."

"Cyrus can always come in."

"It's not Cy, dad. Someone named Parker. Josh said he's never seen him before but that he is insisting on talking to you."

Fitz got up, grabbing a book and went to the front door meeting Josh on the porch. "Sir, the boy insisted on talking to you."

"That's fine, but tell him I'm not accepting visitors today. I'll sign a book for him though."

Fitz opened the book and signed it to Parker.

Josh took the book and went down the driveway. "I'm sorry son, he's not accepting visitors today. He did ask me to give this to you. Have a good day."

"Look, I'm not visiting. I need to talk to him. Fitzgerald Grant has to talk to me. You have to let me see him!" Parker yelled.

"That's not going to be possible. He's getting ready to go to the opening of the library. You need to leave."

"I'm not leaving until I talk to him!"

"Listen, I'm not arguing with you. You need to go before we're forced to make you go."

Reluctantly, Parker took his book and headed back to his car at the edge of the road. Josh took his spot at the front door again waiting for Fitz to be ready to go.

After a few hours Fitz walked out to the car with Teddy behind him. The fourteen-year-old was not too happy to be going out to a library opening but was glad to do it for his dad.

Josh opened the door when they arrived at the library letting them out. The street around the library was blocked off and filled with hundreds of people awaiting the opening. Fitz shook hands with the mayor and walked up the steps. He took the scissors and held them with Teddy after giving his speech and together they cut the ribbon.

At the front row of the sidewalk, Parker stood watching them. He needed to talk to Fitz soon. He had information that he needed to have verified. Parker had been trying to find Fitz for a year and a half. Vermont was the last place he would have thought to find a former president but that's where he found him.

The long day was exhausting for Fitz but more for Teddy. When the opening was finally over and they were able to go home, Fitz managed to get Teddy to wake up enough to get to bed. Fitz took a glass of Scotch and went into the living room. Just as he sat down he could hear the yells from outside.

"Get on the ground!" Josh screamed. Fitz went to the window and looked out seeing what was going on. Josh and David had their guns out pointed at a boy who managed to get past the gate. "ON THE GROUND!" Fitz watched the boy put his hands up and kneel down on the ground.

"I swear I just need to talk to the president," the boy told them. "I'm unarmed!"

Fitz opened the door and stepped outside. "David, Josh, put the guns down. Pat him down and let's see what this is about."

The agents did what Fitz said and checked him for any weapons.

"How did you get past the gate?" Fitz asked stepping off the porch.

"Picked the lock. Sir, I swear I'm not here to harm you or your son at all. I just have some information I need you to verify."

"Well this seems very important to you to break the law and nearly get shot by my agents. I hope this is worth it to you."

"Very sir."

Fitz ushered him to come into the house and sit down.

"If you were an invited guest I'd ask if you'd want something to drink but since you kind of broke in, it doesn't seem appropriate. Let's get this done so I can move on to bed. What's your name?"

"Parker, sir. Parker Stanton."

"What exactly can I verify for you Parker?" Parker pulled out an envelope from his backpack and handed it to him. Fitz opened it and read through it. "Where did you get this?"


	2. My Gift To You

**July**

Olivia walked down the street beside Fitz followed by the secret service agents in North Carolina. After they finished the pancake breakfast and the city hall debate, he really just wanted to spend time with Olivia. Mellie was out of town doing another debate giving Fitz all the time he could want alone with Liv. The two went past several shops in the little city.

"I think we should make a play for the vice president's spot. I need Sally's support to…" Fitz started to say but stopped when he realized Olivia was no longer next to him. He turned around and saw her peeking through the window of a jewelry store. Fitz turned around and stood behind her seeing what she was looking at.

"It's beautiful," Liv told him.

She kept her eye on the ruby and diamond bracelet that sat in the window display of the little shop.

"Do you want it?"

Olivia looked up at him seeing the serious in his eyes.

"You can't buy it, Fitz. You're only allowed to buy Mellie jewelry."

"Can you not say her name when I'm looking at something for you? I told you, we aren't going to be married much longer. I will divorce her."

Olivia looked at the bracelet again before she started to walk away.

"Liv, answer the question."

"There are many things that I want that I simply can't have. That is one of them."

"Are we going to argue about this again? Olivia, you know what's going to happen. You know our plan. Come on…"

"No, Fitzgerald. There's not a plan because you need her to have the White House. Whatever this is between us will be over then."

"We are NEVER going to be over, Olivia! I WILL make this work. I told you I will quit now if that's what you want."

Olivia started walking away ignoring his comments. "You need Sally's support behind the abortion, let's figure out how to make that work."

Letting out a big sigh, Fitz followed behind her until he caught up.

 **Christmas**

"You could come spend Christmas at the White House with me. I don't like you sitting home alone," Fitz told her on the phone.

"Karen and Gerry are home to spend time with you. You should be spending time with them instead of talking to me about something you know I won't do," Liv answered staring at the news on tv.

"They've already barricaded themselves in their rooms after they got their presents. Mellie," Fitz heard her sigh and stopped what he was saying. "I'm alone for Christmas. I'm sitting in the Oval with two agents outside my door. You're actually alone. Why can't we be alone together?"

Olivia gave it a moment of thought. She could go over to the White House and see the kids, give them their presents but Mellie didn't want to be around her again. "Where is she?"

"She went to Blair house. I assume that she's got a 'friend' over there. I told the agents I didn't want an update on her."

"But you want an update on me."

"Liv, it's Christmas, can you yell at me tomorrow about that? Or never? Will you please just come over here? The kids would love to see you. And I have a couple presents for you."

"We agreed not to get each other anything."

"I can't resist. Livie, please come over. I don't want to get Karen and beg her to call you to come over but I will if you make me."

"That's low, Fitz."

"But it'd make you come over."

"Let me throw on some clothes and I'll be over."

"Good, Tom should be knocking on your door any second since I sent him over there twenty minutes ago."

"Fitzgerald! We'll discuss this when I get there."

Olivia threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater with her coat and headed out the door with Tom to the car.

Fitz waited at the back entrance for her to show up. He told Karen and Gerry she was coming and they both were excited to see her and waited with him.

"LIV!" Karen screamed and jumped her when she got into the house.

Olivia hugged both the kids and followed them into the living room of the residence handing them their presents. The kids hurried to open the gifts to see their new cell phones.

"I thought I was supposed to spoil them?" Fitz asked as he laughed a little seeing the presents.

"I am allowed to spoil them because I don't have any visitation rights. This way they can call me any time they want without an agent or you knowing who they are chatting with."

Gerry went up and hugged her thanking her for it followed by Karen. After a half hour of chatting, the kids left back to their rooms.

"I see where I rate. Nothing but a present. Speaking of which, this is for you." She handed him a small box with a ribbon around it. "It's very hard to find something for someone who has access to everything they could want."

Fitz took the box from her and opened it. "Livie, these are courtside tickets to the Lakers. How did you get these?"

"I have connections. Kobe wants to have dinner with you too. There's some place that the guys go to after the game they want to take you to. I already had secret service clear it. So pending no world disaster, you will have some away time. You could even go to the ranch and spend the weekend there."

"You think of everything. Come on, I left your present down in the Oval."

Liv followed behind Fitz to the elevator and down to the office.

"There's actually two presents." He handed her a wrapped present and let her open it. "I know you admire Judy Smith. I met her when I was giving a speech in Florida. She is very sweet. She signed the book for you."

She opened the book "Good Self, Bad Self" and read the signature.

"This is perfect. Thank you Fitz."

"There's another."

"Fitz this is more than enough."

He went to his desk and pulled out a long jewelry box. "I have been holding onto this for a while. I was going to give it to you for your birthday but that day was pretty busy and we were fighting and I didn't want this to be a forgive me gift."

"Fitz…"

"Here, open it."

Liv opened the box slowly seeing the ruby and diamond bracelet she had been looking at a year and a half ago.

"Fitz…"

"Don't say you can't accept it. This is something that you wanted. I wanted you to have it. I had it engraved too."

Olivia flipped over the bracelet and read the inscription.

 _Always yours, Fitz_

"I love it. Thank you, Fitz. But…"

"No. No but. No matter what, Livie, I'm always yours. I know it doesn't seem like it but I am. You are the one that keeps me breathing, that keeps me sane. I need you more than you know."

"I understand that. We'll make it together because I do need you too."


	3. This Is My

"Answer me, boy," Fitz yelled at him. "Where did you get this from?" Fitz held up the ruby and diamond bracelet he gave Olivia nearly 20 years ago. "How did you get this?"

"You know where this came from?" Parker asked him.

"Of course I do, now where the hell did you get this?!"

"President Grant, my girlfriend wears this all the time. She never takes this off. I managed to get this when she was swimming. I thought I could find out who gave it to her."

Fitz stared at the bracelet as he sat down on the couch. Olivia really replaced him with someone half her age? He gave the bracelet to her, had it engraved for her. How could she have replaced him with someone so young?

"She wore this every day. She told me she lost it. The clasp broke and it fell off in the park on a run. I guess she found it."

"I'm sorry, sir. Who is she?"

Fitz looked up at Parker and motioned for him to take a seat.

"Tell me about your girlfriend, Parker."

"Ileana is my girlfriend. She's perfect. She's on the swim team, captain actually. Captain of the debate team. She's going for pre-med at our community college. She's got a full scholarship to UCLA though. But she wanted to finish her prerequisites at home before she moved there. I keep telling her to go but she doesn't listen to me when it comes to school. I want her to have whatever she wants. I try to help her with anything she needs. I'm a med student at Washington University. I do my intern at Grey Sloan, first year. I'm gone all the time but I do manage to spend time with Ileana. She is the world to me."

"She sounds very smart."

"Yes, sir, she is."

"How did you meet her?"

"I went back to my old high school to meet with my teacher for lunch and she was sitting there in the classroom getting some help."

"Your old high school? How old are you?"

"24."

"And Ileana?"

"20."

"That's a bit of a difference."

"She acts a lot older though. She's super smart and knows more about medicine than I do. She volunteers at the nursing home every other day and sets up their meds for them. She is just amazing."

Fitz listened to him go on about Ileana for another hour.

"She seems lucky to have you."

"I believe I'm the lucky one, sir. Ileana is amazing."

"I'm sorry, Parker, but how does any other this involve me? Where did she get this bracelet from?"

"Well, that's why I'm here, Mr. Grant. Ileana was adopted. The person who left her, left her with the bracelet. That's the only part that I could get from her."

Fitz clench the bracelet tighter in his hands. "Someone left her? Where?"

"Ileana doesn't like to talk about it but I know the was given to a couple who took her after she was born. They adopted her but then they changed their mind when the woman found out she was pregnant. Ileana thinks she might have been a year old when they gave her to the adoption agency."

"You're telling me she was left twice?"

"Then she was in foster care until she turned ten. The couple adopted her as soon as they could. She's lived with them ever since."

"This was the only thing they left her with when she was born?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you have a picture of her?"

Parker pulled out his cell phone and picked out a picture of her sitting on the couch eating popcorn and studying. She had her brown hair out in curls put pulled back in a ponytail while she wore pajama pants and a lose t-shirt, probably one of Parker's. Her caramel skin looked perfect along with her smile. Her blue eyes had a bit of grey like she was irritated.

"She's very pretty Parker." After seeing the picture, Fitz could tell why Parker was here at his home. "So what exactly are you looking for from me?"

"Ileana's been searching for her biological parents for a long time. She's just hit so many bumps in the road that she is about to give up. I thought I could help her and see what I could find. I found the jewelry store where this was bought and talked to them, they pulled up the receipt and I found Tom. Tom sent me to you."

"Do you know Ileana wants to do? I mean, does she want to meet or just have medical knowledge of her parents?"

"I am not sure, sir. I think she might be looking for a name. But I know her very well, and I think she wants answers. I don't mean to intrude, Mr. President, but I've read about your time in office. And Ileana would have been conceived about that time. Is it possible that…"

"Yes," Fitz stated firmly as he stared at the picture. "It's amazing how much she looks like her. Parker, this is my daughter."


	4. Being Summoned

Fitz sat at his desk after Parker left thinking about how Ileana could be anything but his daughter. She looked just like Olivia. Ileana had her hair, nose, mouth, everything but she had his eyes. She was a definitely beautiful girl. When was Olivia pregnant? How did she hide it? Why did she hide being pregnant? He wanted his questions answered, needed them answered.

After he thought about it for another half hour, Fitz picked up the house phone and dialed a number.

Olivia sat at home after finishing a case. She sat in bed reading a case for another client alone. Flipping another page, she finished the paragraph she was on when her phone rang. She looked at the caller id and thought about ignoring it.

 _Vermont_

She wanted to answer it on one hand but on the other, they hadn't talked in years. Liv wanted to know why he was calling. Without thinking she answered the phone but didn't say a word.

Fitz heard her breathing on the other end. They stayed quiet for several minutes.

"What do you need?" she asked him breaking the silence.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, this conversation was not going to be good. "I haven't talked to you in sixteen years and that's your starting point? Hi, hello, how are you? But since you decided to start that way… No, I don't have something I want to tell you. What do you need, Mr. President?"

"Answers. I need answers."

"Answers of what?"

"I need you to get on a plane and get here."

"Absolutely not. I don't do what you say anymore."

"You never did what I said before. Get on a plane and come here and explain this to me."

"Explain what? What the hell do you need, Fitz?"

"A boy came here with your bracelet. He got it from…."

"I don't need to know where he got it from. I'll be on the next plane out."

"The private jet is at the airport and David is arriving at your house any minute to take you there. I'll see you in a few hours."

Liv slammed the phone into the cradle and got dressed. She threw on jeans and a sweater heading out the door meeting David there.

The whole ride over to the airport and to Vermont, Olivia grew angrier. She was beyond angry that he never changed his way about summoning her. Even now she was still mad about him doing this to her.

David didn't know if he should say anything to her or ask if she wanted anything to drink on the plane ride over.

When they arrived at the house Liv walked in going to his office.

"I'm here. Now what do you need?"

Fitz held up the bracelet for her to see. "You lost it in the park when you went for a run. Funny how twenty years later I have it here. Clasp looks fine."

"How did you get this?"

"Did you forget to tell me that you were pregnant? Did that somehow just slip your mind?"

Olivia took a seat across from his desk. "So this is what I was summoned for? You get the bracelet and I get the third degree? Wow, that seems right. The usual isn't it?"

"Ileana."

"What?"

"Ileana. She's our daughter…"

"What are you talking about? We don't have a daughter. You and I have nothing."

Fitz stood up and pulled out his cell phone putting it in her face to look at the picture. "Really! She's nothing?! This beautiful girl is nothing?!"

"Get out of my face!"

"LOOK AT HER! She's nothing! ILEANA IS NOTHING? How the hell can you do this to me? How can you keep this from me? You knew I wanted a baby with you and you gave her away!"

Olivia looked at the picture which looked more like a mirror to her. "I did the right thing. Regardless of what you think, I did the right thing."

"By destroying us?"

"How did this become about us? How did I get dragged into this?"

"You are her mother!"

"No, I am absolutely no one's mother. I'm not a mother or a wife or a girlfriend or mistress or anything. I'm me and that's all I am."

"Ileana is my daughter that you gave away without telling me she even existed. I learn from some twenty four year old boy that dates my daughter that I even have a daughter because she has your bracelet."

"How do you know someone didn't just pick it up and put it with her?"

"Because I know you. You care about the bracelet. You are you. You left the bracelet with Ileana when you gave her up. When you gave her up without my consent."

"You never would have let me give her away."

"That's for damn sure. You ruined our chances of having our own family when you gave her up."

"Oh please our chances of having our own family were shot to hell when you decided to push me away and fuck me in a closet at Ella's christening."

"I told you I was sorry for that."

"No, you said you made a mistake. That we were a mistake."

"We were together after that."

"I know everything is my fault. It always was and it always will be. I tried to tell you that I was pregnant and things just got worse after that. The christening was a disaster, and then when I thought I should tell you, you were being tried for impeachment and we were going to get married and that never worked. Then the whole thing with my father blew up and I never spoke to you after that. No matter how hard I tried, I was blocked at every angle."

"You helped the man who killed my son escape federal prison. Probably with the help of your friend Huck. YOU helped him out of there, no one else."

"I've put up with this for sixteen years. I've done everything to protect you and you still have yet to listen."

"I don't need to listen, Olivia. I need you to explain why you would ruin us by giving up our daughter."

Olivia sighed knowing that she wasn't going to get a chance to explain how Eli got out of prison. She was here for one reason and that was it, then she was free to go home or wherever she liked.

"I'm sorry. Ileana wasn't in my plans to be a mother. We weren't… I wasn't ready to devote my life to a child on my own. God knows I couldn't get you to leave Mellie without the world falling apart. So I gave her up for adoption. I found a couple that could give her a good life and could make sure that she was given whatever she needed. I couldn't do that for her."

"Neither did they. The woman got pregnant and gave Ileana away. My daughter was adopted when she was ten but spent the years before in foster care when she could have been given everything she could ever want had she been with me."

"I said I'm sorry. Isn't that what you usually want from me before you dismiss me?"

"Parker, Ileana's boyfriend, is bringing her here in two days. I want to meet her and you will be here for her as well."

"No, I won't."

"Of course you will. You will look her in the eye and tell her why you are so selfish to give her away."

Olivia crossed her arms staring at him. "I gave Ileana away over twenty years ago. She doesn't need me to explain to her why. She is a grown woman and with the right person, if she wants to meet me, she can find me. Until then, I will not intrude on her life. For all I know, she wants nothing to do with either of us. And as such, I will respect her wishes."

"She's been looking for us for several years. Parker figured out where the bracelet came from and found me. I will meet her and so will you."


	5. I Did Something

"I did something…"

"Parker, please tell me you didn't do what I think you did?"

Ileana put her book down and stopped studying to look at him. Noticing that he was looking anywhere but at her.

"I told you I was done. I am done searching. Come on Parker! We talked about this."

"But…"

"No! I told you I don't care anymore. I don't need to find my biological parents. Anything I need to know can be seen through science. I can get the medical history through my DNA. Whoever my biological parents are I just don't… what did you find out?"

Parker pulled the bracelet out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I found the jewelry store owner and he told me about it. He told me who bought it and I went searching for more."

"How deep did you get?"

"I found your father."

"You… you found him? You know who he is?"

"More than that. I met him. And you are going to call me crazy when I tell you who it is but I sincerely believe he is your father. He put the pieces together and now you just need to do a DNA test."

"Well, give me a name."

"Former President Fitzgerald Grant."

"You're right, you are crazy. That's not possible. President Grant could never be my father. It's… that's crazy! It's nuts! It's…"

"True. It's all those things, but it is true. Ana, baby, I talked to him. I sat down with him and talked for several hours. He didn't know you existed. He wants to meet you. We're going tomorrow to Vermont to meet him."

"You didn't think how this affects me, did you? You went ahead and did this without me."

"Ileana, you have been looking for them for so long and I found them. At least one and he'll know who your mother is. You've found out the one thing that you have always wanted to know. Now's the chance to get some answers. And I'll be right there with you."

"Parker…"

"Don't you want to know who they are and why they gave you up? The questions will be answered and you'll know."

"Fine. When are we meeting him?"


	6. Meeting

"Buck up, Olivia. She's going to be here any minute so stop complaining and get ready. This is your fault anyway. If you had…"

"Just told me about her and not given her away blah blah blah. I know! You've been yelling at me about it for several days. I'm tired of hearing about it!" Olivia threw at Fitz.

"Well that's the truth. If you did just tell me you were pregnant, none of this would have happened and I wouldn't be meeting my daughter for the first time after twenty years of not knowing she existed. You need to have the courtesy to include me on those decisions. Luckily, that will never happen again so we won't be in this same situation."

Olivia sat on the couch and rolled her eyes as the helicopter landed in the back yard. Fitz went out to greet Ileana and Parker bringing them into the house. Parker helped Ileana take off her coat and sit down. Fitz couldn't help staring at her. She looked exactly like Olivia, who was looking anywhere but at Ileana.

"Do you want any coffee or water?" Fitz offered them.

"No thank you, I don't drink coffee," Ileana told him. Parker shook his head as Fitz took a seat. "I don't want to make this any more uncomfortable than it already is," Ileana started.

"It's pretty uncomfortable, but I do hope to fix that soon," Fitz told her. "I want you to be comfortable here. Come here whenever you like for any reason."

"I'm not here for you to give me anything. I don't want anything from you other than some answers. I have everything I want now and I'm not after your money or anything."

Fitz nodded knowing that she wasn't after the money, he didn't think his daughter would be like that.

"Well, if you do have questions, I can give you as many answers as I can. Go ahead and ask."

Ileana looked over at Olivia seeing her look-a-like.

"I can guess that you are my biological mother?" Ileana asked Liv who still wouldn't look at her.

"Yes," Liv answered.

"Okay. We look so much alike, I just figured you are. Why did you give me away?"

Olivia finally looked at Ileana seeing that she was a complete replica of her. "Let's go for a walk."

Parker stood up with Ileana but she told him to stay. Liv and Ileana put on their coats and went outside.

"I suppose this is something you didn't want President Grant to hear?" Ileana asked her when they got away from the house.

"Him and I have been fighting about it for days, since he found out that you existed."

"Oh. So why did you give me up for adoption."

"It's kind of a long story, but what it comes down to is that I didn't have a choice."

"Well for that, I am going to need the longer story because I have done my homework and I know everything I could find out about you and there is always a choice. There is always another option. It seems you didn't want to find it."

Olivia sat down on the bench by the front gate moving over so Ileana could sit with her.

"You're right, there is always another option. I looked for it and I tried hard to get myself to agree to that option but I couldn't do it. At the time, I wanted a family with Fitz. I wanted the kids, the house, the whole nine yards but it wasn't an option when he was President. There wasn't a way that I could have him and he'd still be President. They would have him impeached and start a thorough investigation into what happened between us and I couldn't have that. I got pregnant when he was in his first year in office. I stayed as long as I could until I started to show and people got suspicious. I had bad morning sickness and was always throwing up all day. While he gave his state of the union speech, I wrote up my resignation letter and put it on his desk. His wife found out that we were having an affair and that I was pregnant with you. She threatened to end his career and mine if I didn't leave. She gave me an option to get an abortion but by that time it was too late. And I wouldn't be able to. I didn't think I could end a life that was created by the two of us. I wanted you so much but I wasn't meant to be a parent. I barely took care of myself and adding a baby would have been too much. I put myself in dangerous situations. That was my job. I handle crisis and make problems go away. I'd been held at gunpoint, kidnapped, choked, all of that. My job was always first and I couldn't change that when I was pregnant, how could I change it when I had a child to come home to? I looked through every option I had and figured adoption was the best. I thought about an open adoption but I forced myself to think of you and choose what would be best for you. I thought if I didn't have any contact with you, it would be best. I didn't want you to think that I was going to take you at any point because I wouldn't be able to. And I would not take you away from a life that was the only life you know. I checked out Henry and Marisa, I thought they were nice people and would be able to give you the life that you deserved that I couldn't give you. I never thought that they would just give you away. I trusted them to take care of you and the fact that they didn't is on me. And I am so so sorry about that. If I had known that they would do that, or that Marisa had any chance of getting pregnant, I would have done something else. I would have found another solution for you. I know it doesn't help, or make you feel any better, but I have thought about you every day since I gave you to them. I've wondered what it would be like to see you first walk or take you to your first day of school and everything that I missed, but at the end of the day, you were better off with them instead of me."

Ileana listened to Olivia speak without interrupting and knew that she gave her the right choice. She wasn't there to make Olivia feel guilty, just to get the answers that she desperately needed.

"I've thought about meeting you a lot. I've thought about what I would say if I did meet you and how I would scream and call you selfish. But I know you aren't. When Parker came home and told me that President Grant was my father, I did research to find out who my mother was. Until four days ago, I didn't know anything about you or even who Olivia Pope is. I looked around and found Jeannine Locke and found the name Amanda Tanner but when your name popped up and I saw the picture of you with him, there was not a doubt in my mind that we were related. I mean, look at us, it's a mirrored reflection. And after I thought about what I would say to you when I would meet you, I figured out what I wanted to say."

Olivia took a deep breath and waited for her to say something.

"Thank you."

Liv whipped her head toward Ileana not believing what she just heard. "Thank you?"

"Yeah, you did the right thing. I might have been in a few foster homes but it got me where I am now. I'm a med student who has been promised a position at Grey Sloan for interning and I already intern there during summer break and weekends and all that. I worked hard to get to where I wanted to be. No one just handed me whatever I wanted. I have more appreciation for the things that I have than someone who just gets whatever they want. Whatever I have, I earned it. I worked hard for what I have. So yeah, thank you for giving me up for adoption and giving me the best chance I had."

Olivia was stunned that she just heard all of that from Ileana. She pulled her in to her and hugged her tight.

"No matter what Fitz tells you or says about me, I want you to know one thing."

"Okay?"

"Ileana, I do love you."


	7. I Forgive You

Olivia walked back in the house with Ileana seeing that both of the guys were staring out the window at them.

"You okay?" Parker asked Ileana pulling her in to hug him. She nodded and hugged him back and pulled away.

Liv could see out of the corner of her eye the look on Fitz's face as he stared at her. Shaking her head, Liv went to the living room sitting down to check her phone. He'd been holding her basically prisoner at the house for a few days and wouldn't talk to her but let her use her phone. She still had clients that needed her to fix things but she still couldn't be there in person.

"So I know you didn't know about me, President Grant…"

"Ileana, you can call me Fitz. I'm not President anymore."

"Okay. I still don't want anything for either of you. I got what I did want. I wanted to thank you both for giving me up for adoption. I see why Olivia did what she did and I probably would have done the same thing. I don't blame her and you shouldn't either Fitz. She did what was right for me. I think I'm better than either of you could have done for me. Don't be mad at her."

Fitz looked at her and was stunned. "How are you not upset with her? How do you condone what she did to you… to us?"

"She saved you. That's what she was supposed to do. She made sure that you had what you needed. You didn't need me; I only would have caused a problem between you two."

"Ileana, I wanted you. Liv and I were supposed to have kids and live here."

"Do you think she really didn't go through how keeping me would affect both of you? You wanted to be President and you got it. If she told you she was pregnant and would have been unhappy and probably be divorced a long time ago, which wouldn't have helped me at all."

Fitz moved to the chair in the kitchen thinking about what she said. "Even so, Olivia should have told me she was pregnant."

"I don't disagree but I do think she did what was best."

Olivia stood up putting her coat back on. "Ileana, it was great to meet you. I'm very proud that you are doing what you want and have worked hard for it. You don't need to defend me to him. Parker, nice meeting you. I need to be going." She walked out the door toward the front gate when Fitz caught up to her. "Something I can do for you?"

"We haven't talked and I think we need to. Get back inside and we'll talk."

"I've been here for three days and you haven't talked to me at all. Not once! I'm pretty sure we have nothing to talk about."

"Ileana defended you."

"And I told her not to."

"She forgives you. And I want to forgive you too. Explain to me why you couldn't tell me that you were pregnant at any time after we were back together. Or when you first found out. And don't you dare use the excuse that it would ruin my presidency. I'm so done hearing that."

"You want to forgive me? You don't need me to explain that to you. You can figure out that by yourself. I don't need you to forgive me. As a matter of fact, I don't want you to forgive me. I'm not going to forgive you so it doesn't matter to me if you forgive me or not."

Fitz laughed at her and stepped closer. "You don't forgive me? For what exactly?"

"Goodbye, Fitzgerald. I'm done."

Olivia opened the gate and started walking down the road. While Fitz and Ileana were talking she had ordered a cab to come and get her but it wasn't coming fast enough and she wanted out of there.

Deciding not to argue about it, Fitz let her walk away.


	8. Mellie Knows

**Years Ago**

"You're pregnant?"

Olivia jumped when she heard Mellie come into her office. Sitting down and looking down at her papers she answered. "You must have lost your mind, Mellie. Who in the world told you I was pregnant?"

"You have been sick for days. I know the signs of pregnancy. I done it twice."

"That doesn't mean that I'm pregnant."

"You are tired all the time. You keep your hand on your stomach. You're throwing up all the time. You aren't drinking wine. When we had lunch last week you refused to get shrimp and that's what you always get when we go out. Admit it, Olivia. Fitz got you pregnant."

Liv looked down at her stomach. "What do you want?"

"Get rid of it!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Get rid of the baby. Go get an abortion. You know what this will do to him. It will ruin everything that we've worked for the past two years. Get rid of the baby or I will."

Mellie turned around to walk out but Olivia caught her. "Exactly what is it you think you will do?"

"I'm sure Cyrus would enjoy knowing that you are carrying Fitz's bastard child. And how he can get rid of it."

"You'd have me killed to save him? How does that benefit you? You already have what you want. You got first lady. You got what you wanted! How is that you want more? You can't give him one thing that he wants? Mellie he wants a child with me. He's getting that. How can you be so cruel and take that away from him? You've already shipped off your children to boarding school against his wishes. You treat him like shit and demand everything from him. Give him the one thing that he wants."

"So he can attempt to leave the presidency and take off with you?"

"I highly doubt he would give up the presidency."

"He would if it was for you. He would leave everything for you. But think about how it would affect you. You would have to give up everything."

"Mellie, I've already decided that I was going to give up everything for this. This is his baby and he has a say too."

"Olivia, be smart about this. Get rid of the baby or I will."

 **Weeks Later**

"Olivia Pope?"

"Yes?"

Olivia turned around in the parking garage at her building to see a man with a knife running towards her. She tried to run away but the man pushed her to the ground and stabbed her in her stomach six times. When he was done, he got off of her and ran away.

"Ms. Pope? Ms. Pope!" the security guard of the building ran to her and called an ambulance.

Olivia woke up a few hours later in the emergency room to see Mellie sitting next to the bed.

"What happened?"

"Liv? You were attacked. Do you remember anything?"

"I was at work. Fitz just left for the summit meeting. I was attacked?"

"I told you to get rid of the baby. You should have listened to me. I had to take things into my own hands to protect both you and Fitz. Next time you'll listen."

Mellie walked out of the room leaving Liv alone.

The nurse came in after seeing Mellie leave.

"Is the baby okay?"

"Ms. Pope your baby is perfectly fine. Not one stab to the baby."

"Thank God." Olivia slowly started to cry and pulled out her phone seeing several messages from Fitz. She called him back and he picked up on the first ring.

"Livie, hi."

"Hi," she quietly cried

"Are you alright? You sound like you've been crying."

"I'm fine, everything is fine."

"You're lying. What's wrong?"

Olivia started to cry harder knowing she couldn't hide it from him.

"Fitz…"

He held the phone tighter and called for Tom. "Livie, they are getting Air Force One ready to go. I'm on my way back."

"WHAT! NO! Fitz, I'm fine. I will be fine. Just talk to me."

"Olivia, what is going on? Sweet baby, why are you crying? Please don't cry. Tell me what's wrong."

"I… I just miss you."

"I'll be home tomorrow and we can have dinner. Don't cry, Livie."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright, I love you."

"I love you too."


	9. Better Off

"I'll get Teddy next weekend and then you'll have him for Christmas," Fitz told Mellie when he dropped Teddy off.

"That's fine. I saw the library opening; it looked great. You looked great."

"I have to tell you about something."

"Do I want a drink for this?" Mellie asked pulling out a bottle of hooch.

"I honestly don't believe this is that bad, at least for you." Fitz sat at the kitchen table with Mellie across from him. "I've been in contact with Olivia."

Mellie looked right at him, stunned he actually said her name. "I thought you said you were done with her for good."

"And I would have been, except we have a child together that I just found out about. So I had to call her and make her explain and she came over."

"Oh." Fitz watched Mellie look down at her nails and tap them on the table.

"Oh? That's all you need to say?"

"How did you find out about Ileana?"

"Her boyfriend came over and came through the gate last week. We sat down and talked, Olivia was there, Teddy was at soccer practice. He didn't meet her. She is very…" Fitz replayed what she just said. "How did you know her name is Ileana?"

"You… you said her name," Mellie answered taking a long drink of hooch.

"I never said her name was Ileana. I didn't even tell you it was a girl." He could see her looking everywhere but at him. "Start explaining, NOW!"

"I will remind you that you are in my house and you will not treat me like that. I have nothing to explain to you. Especially about Olivia and Ileana. I washed my hands of that years ago and have nothing to say about it now."

"You knew about Ileana all along and never told me! You are just as vicious as she is! Unbelievable Mellie! You always wanted to throw her out and you found a way to do it!"

"She did that all on her own. And Ileana was better off without you anyway."

"Really? Well Teddy and Karen and Jerry would have been much better off without you!"

Fitz stormed out of the house with Josh and David.


	10. Early Morning Visitor

Olivia shot up in bed after hearing the constant knocking on the door that wasn't going away after five minutes. When she looked at the clock the first time she heard it, it was 5:49 am. By the time she decided to get up and answer it, the clock read 6:00 am. She pulled her gun off the nightstand and headed to the front door. Liv managed her way through the dark to the front door peeking through the hole to see who it was. Seeing it was Fitz, she really didn't want to answer but knew he'd keep knocking, if not break the door down, to get the apartment.

"Are you trying to get yourself KILLED?!" she yelled at him when she opened the door. Josh and David saw the gun in her hand and pulled theirs on her. Liv opened the gun and dumped out the bullets from it on the floor and set it down on the side table next to the door. "What the hell are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"

"Nine."

"Maybe in Vermont. What could you possibly want that you don't already have, Mr. President."

"You still don't sound sexy when you call me that."

"Good, it wasn't my intention. Is there a particular reason that you are standing at my door at six in the morning? I'm not doing booty calls anymore."

"Don't need one. Let's talk."

Fitz tried to step inside the apartment but Olivia blocked him.

"You and I have done plenty of talking. Actually we've done none, still, I do not want to talk to you. You have a daughter, you met her, you'll get to know her and things will magically start to work to the way you want them to. They always have. Now, I'd like to go back to bed."

Liv tried to close the door but Fitz pushed it open and stepped in, closing it behind him.

"I talked to Mellie. Why did you tell her about Ileana and not me?"

"I didn't tell that woman a damn thing. And I sure as hell never told her I was pregnant. She figured that out alone."

"Even then, after she found out, you wouldn't tell me. Why couldn't you just tell me you were pregnant and let it all go the way it should be?"

"So you could be impeached? Or resign? Your goal, your dream, was to be President. I had no right to take that from you. I would never take away your legacy. You wouldn't be happy with just me and Vermont and kids. There would always be one more thing that you wanted. Always be something I couldn't give you. And you would resent me for you not being President. I don't need, I don't want that type of resentment. You resent me for not telling you I was pregnant. I can take that. I have dealt with it. I added it to the list of things you hate me for. Believe me, that list is pretty long. Well, I've dealt with that. I moved on. Everything from that time in my life, is done, I'm over it."

Fitz looked back at the table. "But you still carry a gun around."

"I'm over what happened between us. I didn't say I've made a mends with things that happened in that time frame."

"I should have known."

"Fitz, there are a lot of things you should have known. There's a lot of things that I should have told you and not keep a secret. But I can't change that now. I wish I would have changed them; I wish I did things differently. Maybe we would have ended up together with two kids in Vermont making jam and being mayor. But I'm not a fortune teller so I have to deal with what I have."

He moved over to the couch and sat down as she took the other side on the arm. "Do you really hate me?" he asked staring at the floor.

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you."

"Did you throw it into a lake or something?" Olivia knew what he was talking about.

"No."

When he heard her say it, he turned to look at her. Liv held up her hand showing him the she still had the ring he gave her at James and Cyrus's wedding.

"You still wear it?"

"Every day for over twenty years. I promised you that I would wear it. I don't break promises, Fitz."

"How can you not hate me? I hate myself."

"I hate some of the things that you've done to me. But I don't hate you. You're angry, you've been angry. I get that. I've been mad, furious, enraged at you but I couldn't hate you."

"Liv, I never meant to hurt you."

Olivia couldn't hold back the laugh she had. "Yes, you did. You wanted to hurt me and you got your way. I've been hurt for sixteen years."

"You started this knife fight, Olivia. You let him out of prison! The person, your father! He killed my son and you let him out of prison. How you managed to do it I will never know. But you did. Did you have Huck join that little treason party? Or was that single handedly you?"

"Oh, the things you never know about. I had nothing to do with that!"

"But you did, you made me sign it making me think I was signing something else."

"Bull shit! You didn't look very closely at that signature."

Olivia ran into her bedroom and pulled out a box from under the bed. Rifling through it, she found a copy of the document that released her father from prison.

"HERE!" She handed it to him. "I didn't sign that document and neither did you. Mellie signed that!" Liv pulled out another paper that was his request to be reinstated after his assassination attempt. "They are the same! You know Mellie signed the reinstatement letter and forced you back to work early, the signatures are the exact same!"

Fitz looked over them closely and could see no difference between them. "But why would she do this?"

"So you wouldn't be impeached. Rowan had dirty little secret files kept on everyone in power. He made a deal with Mellie that would get him released and you stayed safe as president. I had nothing to do with that!"

Fitz put the papers on the table and looked at her seeing her nearly crying. "Livie…"

"Do not do that!"

"Olivia, I didn't know… you had the most to gain if he was released. You had him back as your father if he was out of prison."

"I didn't want him released! That's why I agreed to marry you! So that I wouldn't have to testify. It wasn't the best time for us to get married and we both knew that but when Mellie called and told me to meet her in the tunnels, she had him with her. And Tom too. I wanted both of them to burn for what they did to you… to Jerry and SHE let them out!"

"I will take care of this. She will pay for this; I promise you that."

"Fitz, what's the point? There's nothing left."

"We have everything left. We have Ileana and Teddy. We can make up for the lost time we had. Livie, we can do anything. You and I can be together and make this work."

Olivia stared at him stunned he could actually say these things. "Are you serious?"

"Very."

"You can forgive me that easily? After everything you just found out that had nothing to do with me, you forgive me?"

"None of this was your fault. I've been mad at the wrong person for sixteen years. I can make it up to you. You didn't do anything for me to forgive."

"I don't forgive you. I don't know if I can forgive you."

"What?"

"Sixteen years, Fitz. That's not something I can get over just because you snapped your fingers. You have done so much to me that, even though I love you and want to be with you, I don't know if I can forgive you."

"Olivia, you know that I am truly sorry."

"I missed Christmases, birthdays, anniversaries, everything because of you! I wasn't allowed at Karen's wedding after she begged me to come. I got to the damn gate and secret service would not let me in! Ella's sweet sixteen, I couldn't go to because you said you didn't want me there. Teddy's birthdays. Christmases for sixteen years. Karen's daughter, who is named after me, I've never even met and she's six! Ella's graduation, Karen's graduation, Cyrus's funeral, any gala. I've missed all of those things and more. And you want me to forgive you for that? I sent you letters every month for nine years and never got a response. I sent you Christmas gifts and birthday presents and not once did you have the decency to even pick up the phone and tell me to stop. Everything that's happened and you want me to just forgive you?! I can't do that, Fitz. I have to forgive you and forgive myself for letting you treat me like shit. So no, we can't be together."

"Olivia, we CAN be together. We can be together and you can forgive me for everything. I will make it up to you. I will make up every day for what happened. We can be the family we wanted to have."

"I have a reminder every day about what happened. I look in the mirror and I have this constant reminder that we aren't a family. There's something else you don't know about."

"Then tell me. No more secrets."

Olivia took a deep breath and pulled her shirt up to her chest after taking a step back from Fitz. He looked down to see what she would be keeping a secret under her shirt and saw the marks. The scars she had from something. Six scars across her stomach an inch in length could clearly be seen on her.

"Olivia… what the hell happened!"


	11. Dirty Little Secrets Always Come Out

"What the hell happened? Why do you have scars all over your stomach!" Fitz demanded an answer. He traced each of them separately with his finger attempting to figure out what they could be from. "Answer me, Olivia."

"We're lucky we have Ileana. We're lucky I didn't have a miscarriage because of this."

"That does not explain why you have these."

Olivia pulled her shirt down to cover the marks and sat down. "When I was pregnant, I was attacked in the parking garage at home. He stabbed me… those are knife marks."

"How did I now know about this? Why didn't you tell me when it happened? He could have killed you!"

"You weren't there. You were at the conference in Japan. Remember when you were there, I called you and I started crying." Fitz thought back and slowly nodded. "I called from the hospital. The man who stabbed me went directly into my uterus. Ileana is lucky to be alive. I don't know how she managed but she's a fighter. After she was born they removed my uterus, they wanted to take it earlier but it wasn't safe for her. Even if we were together, Fitz, I'd never be able to have kids. Even then, I wouldn't be able to have kids. And now you hate me for not telling you."

"No, I hate myself for not protecting you. I should have been there, or put an agent on you."

"Because that worked so many times?"

"You wouldn't have been hurt if I had. Why haven't I seen these before?"

"I kept them covered. They make special scar makeup. I kept them hidden whenever I knew I would see you because I never knew how things would be."

Fitz took her hand and held it, playing with the ring on her finger. "Do you remember anything about him? Anything to id him?"

"Fitz that was so long ago, but I do remember a little tattoo on his arm. I saw it when he lunged at me. Besides, it wouldn't matter now anyway."

"What was the tattoo of?"

"The name Tina. But the 'I' was a heart not a dot."

"Was it in red ink? Was he white?"

"Yes, why? Fitz, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm alive, so is Ileana. Whoever the guy was, it doesn't matter anymore."

"YES IT DOES!"

"Fitzgerald, calm down. What the hell is the problem? You know that I have enemies, more than I can count and you are so stuck on this one guy who I haven't seen in a while, what is the issue?"

"A while? How long is a while?"

"You're asking a lot of questions and not giving me a lot of answers. Tell me what's going on in your mind. What are you thinking about?"

"Tell me how long a while is."

"A few years. Maybe four." Fitz stood up pacing in a circle. "What's wrong? You got that from me, what is going on?"

He stepped away from the table and looked at her. "That man, the one who stabbed you, who tried to hurt our child… his name is Ryan. He is one of my father's men."

"Fitz, Big Jerry died long before that."

"I know. And Mellie knew you were pregnant."

Olivia locked eyes with him trying to configure what he was talking about. "You think Mellie hired him to do that? Do you think she would do that?"

"This is Mellie we're talking about. There's not a doubt in my mind that she would call Ryan and ask a favor. And if it was you, she would definitely do anything to get rid of something we created."

"Fitz, I don't think she would be that cruel to destroy an innocent child."

"She would. It would be the first priority to her."

Fitz sat down next to her again pulling her to him in the corner of the couch. He started to draw circles on her arm like he always had done to ease her worries and put her to sleep. Without fail, she did just that, falling asleep in his arms

After a while of just holding Liv, Fitz kissed the top of her head and whispered to her. "I promise I'm going to make him pay for what he did to us and to Ileana. He won't get away with it, Livie."


	12. Revenge

"If anyone can find him, you can. I just want you to find him and notify me when you do, I'll take it from there… No I'll take care of her. You just worry about him… Thanks."

Olivia woke up alone on the couch when she heard Fitz talking to someone on the phone.

"What was that about?" she asked coming into the kitchen with him.

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with. I didn't mean to wake you up. Want me to make you some breakfast or something?"

"I have a feeling that whatever was on the other side of the phone is something that concerns me and will more than likely get you into trouble. Fitz, I told you to let it go. What's done is done and there's no fixing it. I've tried fixing it. There's no point in holding onto the anger for it. Mellie and whatever his name is got away with it, okay? They have gotten away with everything else, come to terms with it. You have to move on and let this go."

"Aren't you angry? Pissed off about what happened?"

"Of course I am! But it was years ago and I have coped with that decision of not going against them. If Mellie did have something to do with my attack, it was her payback for me sleeping with you. She got her revenge."

Fitz watched her sit on the barstool at the counter stunned that she could say something like that.

"Are you delusional? Have you gone clinically insane in sixteen years? This is not my Olivia! This is not my Livie! You think that her having you stabbed is an even way for revenge? You have lost your mind. Mellie got what she wanted, she got to be senator, she couldn't make it to be President, that's on her. She had my support and everything that was agreed on in the divorce and still you think that her stabbing you, nearly killing our daughter is an even trade for me having an affair with you?"

"This is Mellie we're talking about, Fitz. She doesn't make all the sense in the world but she is a determined woman. She got what she wanted all along. She got to be First Lady, then Senator, then attempted President but got VP. And she got me out of the picture to do it. We never made it. You and I gave it a shot but we just couldn't do it. That's our fault."

"You kept pulling away, Olivia. You were distant and always wanting to run away."

"You ordered me to stay at the White House when my father was let out of prison. I didn't have a say in the matter, you made the decision for me without any regards to how I felt."

"I was trying to keep you safe. I was trying to protect you from him."

"I don't need you to protect me from him. He would never hurt me."

"Olivia, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm taking care of the situation and that's all there is to it. For now, you and I need to decide where we go from here."

"We? There's no 'we' Fitz. You pushed me out of your life when I was arrested for supposedly letting him out of prison. There's nothing for us. We are done, we have been done for sixteen years."

"Ileana changes things. The truth, changes things. I was wrong to push you away without the details of the truth and I apologize for that. I'm going to take care of Mellie letting Rowan out of prison. And I'm going to take care of Ryan for attacking you. But I need to know that you are safe when I do. Because I'm going to find Rowan and put him back where he needs to be."

"You can't do that."

"I can and I will. I'm going to find him and…"

"No I mean you won't find him. He's gone."

"I know he's in hiding and with my sources and secret service, I…"

"You aren't listening. I mean he's dead."

"When did he die, Liv?"

"Four years ago. He's dead."

"And you know this for sure? How do you know he's dead?"

"I'm the one who shot him, Fitz."


	13. Shot Him Dead

"You…you shot him? What do you mean you shot him?"

"Gun, bullet, blood… I shot him, okay? That's what I did. I shot Rowan."

"You are kidding correct? You don't have it in you to shoot someone."

"Well, I did."

"Why? What happened to make you shoot him?"

"He snuck in here and was drunk more than normal. He started to yell at me that I wasn't any good for anything. That I was just a useless whore that wasn't good for anything but keeping my legs open. When I walked away he got even angrier and grabbed me. He threw me down on the floor and kept telling me that I was absolutely nothing. He kicked me and I got up ready to walk out but he pulled my hair and I just lost it. I grabbed the gun out of my purse and shot him. I didn't want to shoot him, I just did. I didn't know what else to do. It wasn't an accident."

Fitz pulled her to him holding her to his chest tightly. "He was hurting you and you defended yourself. That's all that happened. You had to protect yourself or he could have killed you."

Olivia held onto Fitz tighter than she thought she ever had. "I didn't have a choice. I had to shoot him."

"It's okay, Liv. You're here and that's the most important part."

The two stayed quiet for a few minutes before they let each other go.

"What are you going to do about Mellie?"

"Don't worry about her, I'll handle that situation."

 _Author's note:_

 _Hey everyone! Sorry it's taking me longer than normal to update. Finals are this week and life is getting crazy! I hope to have a few hours sometime this week that I can update this. I also have a few ideas for one shots and might post those too or instead of an update on this. When finals are over and life gets back to normal (normal as it can be, hopefully sometime next week!) I will be back! The story isn't over but it's not in hiatus. Wish you all the best!_

 _Ps: I love to read the reviews y'all post! Chocolate1, LaJoyMechell, jennkyle, Olitzobsessed194, Symone 0939, BeckyPo, you guys make my day when I read your reviews!_


	14. Breaking News

"What the hell do you think you are doing? You cannot just come in here and grab me! What is going on!" Mellie yelled demanding to know.

She sat at her home office and read through the potential bill she wanted to propose when four FBI agents came into her home breaking down the door and handcuffing her.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say…" the agent continued to read Mellie her rights as they walked out of the house. He put her in the back of the SUV and got in driving off.

Fitz saw his phone light up in the pitch black of the bedroom in Vermont.

"It's done, sir."

"Good."

He quietly hung up the phone and turned over to see Olivia fast asleep next to him. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and curved against her body, falling back asleep.

The agents took Mellie down to the Pentagon and underneath it. They cuffed her hands to the middle of the table leaving her to sit there alone.

Olivia woke up around 7 when Fitz's phone went off. She tried to get him to answer it but he was sound asleep. She quietly took the phone and headed off to the hallway so she wouldn't wake him and answered it after reading the caller id coming up as White House.

"Hello?"

"Please hold for the President."

Liv waited a moment while the line connected to him.

"Fitz, it's…"

"President Caldwell, this is Olivia. Fitz is asleep still. Would you like for me to give him a message?"

"Liv, you are still allowed to call me Peter. I owe this to you. Without your help, I'd never have gotten here. Normally I'd be a bit impatient that the president is calling and said person is asleep but I think I understand why. Will you tell Fitz that I need for him to get here soon? I'm sending Marine One to get him. Tell him Mellie isn't an issue anymore."

"Mellie isn't an issue? What are you talking about?" she asked in a worried tone.

"I think that Fitz better tell you himself. You're more than welcome to come too if you are available. I have to go, Liv. Nice to hear from you."

Olivia hung up the phone and went downstairs making herself tea and starting the coffee for Fitz. She sat at the table drinking her tea waiting for him to show up. After an hour or so he finally came downstairs pouring a cup after kissing her good morning.

"You're up early, why?"

"Peter called. Marine One is on its way to get pick you up. Care to tell him why Mellie isn't an issue anymore?" Fitz took a drink of his coffee and set it down looking at the wall beyond her. "I do expect an answer."

"Liv, I said I was going to take care of the situation with Mellie and that's what I'm doing. I'm going to make her pay for what she did. You don't need to worry about it."

"Peter is involved; I'm very concerned about it. I told you to leave it alone. That guy and Mellie are not on my priority list anymore."

"They are on mine now. I've taken care of Ryan and I'm handling the Mellie situation now. Why don't I go get ready and wait for Marine One to get here and we can watch the news before we go?"

Olivia got off the bar stool and put her cup in the sink. "I can't go to DC. Ileana is coming over tonight for dinner. Go do whatever it is you need to do and come back when you can."

She put on her coat and headed out to the orchard leaving Fitz in the kitchen. She was irritated with him that he didn't listen and was doing something to Mellie. But she was more annoyed that he brought Peter in somehow to this mess. Liv tried to think of what he could have done to Ryan since he said that was taken care of. With Fitz, anything was possible.

"It's taken care of then, right?" Fitz sat across from Peter in the Oval after a polite little chat.

"She is being held underneath the Pentagon until the Supreme Court's decision is finalized."

"Do I sound like a complete ass for wanting this?"

Peter shook his head and offered him Scotch. "No, you don't. If my wife pulled that same kind of stunt to the person that I love, I don't think I'd be able to wait until the FBI showed up. As sweet as Lily is, she's my wife in name only. Marian is the one that I do truly love. And if Lily tried to hurt Becca, I can't promise not to have my hands wrapped around her throat. But that's just me."

"Oh believe me, when Liv told me what happened and I saw the scars from it, it took a lot of strength not to have the jet land on Mellie's door step and me not to choke the life out of her. Honestly, I can't believe I didn't realize it before. As many times as Olivia and I had been together since then and I never saw the marks, it just… I'm furious with myself for not knowing. I'm angry at her for not telling me what happened and for so many other things. I murderous towards Mellie for doing this to her. And Ryan for actually doing it. Thankfully, he's not a problem anymore. I want Mellie to pay for what she did to Olivia and to Ileana… but part of me says she shouldn't be allowed to live. The other part says that it would be a long, drawn out torture for her but still not the same as what Liv's gone through."

"Well, like Olivia says, 'consider it handled'. Your hands are clean on Mellie. You did the right thing, the patriotic thing, telling me about her signatures. Adding Liv's stabbing to the facts was just fuel to the fire. Mellie will be locked in a maximum security cell until she dies. Even if she didn't have anything to do with Olivia's stabbing, which I know she did, she still committed treason against the country and has to be punished for it. And since treason is a federal felony offense, I can't take her punishment down. So, your Mellie issue is taken care of."

"Thank you for handling this, Peter. I wouldn't have been able to see clearly in this issue."

Just as the men stood to say goodbye, there was a knock on the door. Peter allowed for the entrance and his secretary popped her head in.

"It's breaking news, sir."

Flipping through the channels to find the news, all the channels had it on.

 _"Breaking news this afternoon as Former First Lady, Mellie Grant, has been convicted of treason against the U.S. government on two counts and several accounts of assault. The FBI took Ms. Grant into custody this morning in her Virginia home. Youngest son, Teddy Grant, is staying at his father's, Former President Fitzgerald Grant and was not at the residence when the FBI broke down the door after receiving the arrest warrant for Ms. Grant. We'll be following this story as more details become available."_

Fitz pulled his phone out of the pocket of his coat when he felt it vibrate. He answered without seeing who it was.

"What the hell have you done!"


	15. Liv Is Pissed

"I am very certain that we talked about this and I told you to drop it and you agreed that you would, Fitzgerald!" Olivia yelled through the phone to him. When she was flipping through the news that last time she ever expected to see what Mellie being arrested. "Undo whatever it is that you have done and do it now!"

Fitz held the phone away from his ear as she yelled. He could see the scared look on Peter's face when he heard her yelling.

"Liv, it's out of my hands. There's nothing I can do about Mellie's situation anymore."

"YOU put Peter on this so you have some sort of hand in this. Get Mellie out of prison right now."

"I can't do that. The Supreme Court signed off on the arrest warrant. I didn't have any sort of dealings with them. They had enough evidence to have her arrested and that's obviously what they did. There's nothing we can do about it now. You need to let this go and let the court go ahead with what they plan to do."

"UNBELIEVABLE!"

Olivia hung up on him and threw her phone on the bed.

"Shouldn't you be happy that she's been arrested?"

Liv turned around when she heard Ileana's voice. She forgot that Fitz had given her a key to the house after her third visit two months ago.

"She deserves to be arrested. After what she did to Fitz and to you, she does deserve it. I just think that it's too late to do anything. She's gotten away with everything else. And I have been used to it. I got used to the idea of never having any kids even though that's what Fitz wanted. He's always wanted us to have a family, I got used to the idea of never having a family with anyone."

"Olivia, we are a family. A highly not regular family but we are a family. Fitz and you and Teddy and Karen are my family. So is Parker. It took us a while to be one but we are. So why wouldn't you want her to pay for what happened? Think about what she did to Fitz. She made him go back to work after he was shot. And she made him miss out on having the family he wanted with you. And the fact that she let out your dad. Plus she…"

"I know what she did, Ileana. I know exactly what happened. I want her to pay. But…"

"How is there a but? It seems pretty simply. Either you want her to pay or not."

"I do want her to."

Fitz put his phone back into his pocket and put his coat on.

"She's not happy is she?"

"Not at all. Thank you for your help, Peter. If you don't mind though, I would like to go talk to Mellie and have one last conversation with her."

"Of course, the secret service will take you to her. Glad I could be of help."

"I sure Olivia will appreciate it too."

"Anything for Liv. Good luck, Fitz."


	16. Never Hurt Again

"Is the coast clear?" Fitz popped his head around the front door when he arrived home. He wasn't sure how upset Olivia still was, or even if she was home. He saw Teddy heading up to his room and asked him.

"Ileana talked her off the cliff. She went for a walk in the orchard. Did you really have mom arrested?"

Fitz stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Not necessarily but partially it is because of me. I'm so sorry Teddy, I just couldn't let your mom get away with the things that she's done. And she needed to be punished for it. I didn't think that they would arrest her though."

"It's okay, dad. I heard Liv and Ileana talking about what she did. I can't believe she tried to have Liv killed. I'm glad she's getting what she deserves."

Teddy went upstairs when Fitz went to the living room sitting with Ileana.

"Is she really mad?" he asked her.

"She's calmed down. I think I got her to understand that it wasn't just about what Mellie did to Liv and me but also what she did to you and how she put the country in jeopardy when she let Rowan out of prison. And that she had committed several acts of treason. I reminded her that it's not just about her but it's also about you and me and the safety of the country. I mean, the woman tried to kill me and I wasn't even born yet. Mellie has some issues that needed to be taken care of. In prison she'll get the help she needs."

"Possibly but she's not actually going to prison."

"What do you mean she's not going to prison!"

Ileana and Fitz both jerked their heads to the glass door where Olivia stood.

"I told you to let this go but you wouldn't listen. You said you'd make her pay. Now she gets off free and clear like nothing ever happened! I came to terms that it wasn't all about me and that she needed to pay for what she did to you and what she did to my daughter but now she doesn't get anything! What the hell! Why couldn't you just leave it alone, Fitz!"

"Would you let me finish?"

"What else is there to say? She's not doing any time for a damn thing!"

"Mellie isn't going to prison. Because she's going to Guantanamo Bay to serve a life sentence in solitary confinement for her own protection. She's not going to hurt you or Ileana ever again."

"Oh."

"That's it? Oh?"

"Don't you think that's a bit excessive?"

"Whether it is or not, that is what the Supreme Court decided. I have nothing to do with it. She's already on a plane down there. There's nothing I can do, even if I wanted to."

Fitz stood up and hugged her seeing that she was shaking.

"No one will ever hurt you again."


	17. Epilogue

Olivia sat at the bottom of the staircase in the early morning, that the sun wasn't even up yet. She stared at the Christmas tree with all the presents underneath it for everyone, even for the secret service agents. It was almost time that the family would start to wake up and be ready to open presents. She kept thinking how years ago she would have sat alone on the couch watching the news and drinking wine all day.

"You're up early," she heard Fitz say as he wrapped his arms around her sitting a step above her.

"So are you."

"It's hard to sleep when the bed is cold next to you. What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"You were waiting for Santa to come?"

"He did that last night. Several times, very loudly."

"Well, Mrs. Claus was a bit loud too. I'm surprised she didn't wake up everyone in the North Pole."

"Behave, everyone will be awake soon."

"If you guys are going to screw with everyone in the house, could you please keep it down? It's very hard to sleep when you're eight months pregnant!" Ileana scolded them as she went down the stairs. "I almost went to bang on the door but I highly doubt you would have heard me anyway."

"Like you and Parker weren't doing the same thing when we came home from shopping yesterday?"

Olivia went into the kitchen deciding to start breakfast for everyone knowing the smell of food would wake them up. They had planned on going to the shelter later in the morning after church to help serve food.

"GRANDMA!" Olivia braced herself for her granddaughter to come running into her.

"Livia, don't yell."

"Please grandma, please! Can we open presents?"

"You have to wait, not everyone is up yet."

Livia sat down next to Ileana and bit into a cinnamon roll at the counter before Olivia took it away from her. Fitz came over and kissed his granddaughter's head then his daughter.

"Livia go wake up your mother."

"Okay grandpa!"

Olivia gave him an evil look and he smiled at her. "Better now than later. We don't want to run late for anything today."

Once everyone was awake, Livia started handing out the presents one at a time to everyone.

"Grandma, there's one more for you."

Olivia took the box from her and unwrapped it. She held up the long box and opened it. Inside was a sapphire bracelet with an inscription inside it. _Love you always sweet baby_

Liv moved closer to Fitz and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas, Livie."

"Happy five year anniversary, Fitz."


End file.
